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Adze A vampiric spirit that dwells within the tribal sorcerers of the Ewe. The Ewe are a people inhabiting parts of southeastern Ghana and southern Togo in Africa. The Adze flies around in the form of firefly but, if caught, changes into a human. It drinks blood, palm oil and coconut water and preys on children, especially handsome ones.

Algul - An Arabic vampire, which translated means horse leech, or bloodsucking jinn. This form of vampire is traditionally a female demon that feasted upon dead babies and inhabited cemeteries.

Alp - A German vampiric spirit associated with the boogeyman and the incubus, normally tormenting the nights and dreams of women. The creature’s physical manifestations can be very dangerous. Long connected with the nightmare, the alp is considered male, sometimes the spirit of a recently deceased relative, most often an actual demon. Children can become an Alp when a mother uses a horse collar to ease childbirth. During the middle ages the alp was said to appear as a cat, pig, bird or other animal, including a lecherous demon dog scene in Cologne, thus linking the werewolf in with this legend. In all its manifestations the Alp is known to wear a hat. The spirit can fly like a bird, can ride like a horse and is credited with a certain gallant attitude, rarely forcing itself on its prey. The Alp drinks blood from the nipples of men and children but prefer the milk of women. Because it is so involved in terrors of the mind and sleep the Alp is virtually impossible to kill.

Asanbosam - A vampire found in Africa, known among the Ashanti of southern Ghana and by people in areas of the Ivory Coast and Togo. The Asanbosam is believed to reside in deep forests, most often encountered there by hunters. It is of general human shape, with two exceptions: its teeth are made out of iron and their legs have hook like appendages. Anyone walking by the tree in which it resides will be scooped up and killed.

Aswang - A vampire from the Philippines believed to be a beautiful female by day and a fearsome flying fiend by night. The Aswang can live a normal life during daylight hours. At night however the creature is led to the houses of its victims by night birds. Its nourishment is always blood, and it prefers to feed on children. Its swollen form identifies the creature, after feeding, it looks almost pregnant. If the Aswang licks a person’s shadow it is believed that the person will die soon afterwards.

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